Car-coupling.



UNITED `STATES NPATEI\r -I oRRIgoE, j,

FRANCIS A. 'MooRR, @E TYLER.T'RxAs,A AssIGlNoR on ONE-THIRD "ro WILLIAM EDWARD GREEN, or rIYLER, TEXAS.

citizen of 'the UnitedStates; residing VVAat Ty vl.le`r,fin"the County o'f'Smith andState of Texas,

have invented new and useful 4Improvements iniCariGou'plings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto car-'couplingde- 'vices'of the Janne'y -t-yp'e; and the primary 4ob'jectof-the 'same-istoprovidepositive operating means kvfor locking thel knuckle both lopen yand closed positions 'and to vobstruct any `lrelease `'of `:the lockingfmeans'for the knuckle during transportationof a car carry- 'inglthe'coupler and whiclr'might ensue but for the resistance of' 'the restricting" element ltdlsuc-hfacci'dental release, as 4willlbe vmore lfully hereinafterset-forth:t

` IAfurtherobject ofthelli'nvention is to p'ro- 'vide fmeansreadily operable fromleithe'r side foranyother portion of a 'car forreleasing the locking lmeans for the `knuc"kle"without requiringf'anoperative to",p`ass betwe'enthe car yends duringthe coupling `movement of the -cars,'-and thereby avoid accidents. y

A A still further'object'of the invention' is to `simplify theV generalforganization of knucklecouplersand lto also renderthe same-"convenient operation without materially increasing' the' cost ofmanufacture and =us'e.

'lheinvention consists inthe construction and arrangement bf the several parts, which will `=be more `fullyhereinalfter set forth.4

`In the idrawings,Figure 1 isanenlarged `horizontalsecti'onof the `coupling-head and-l a partof the 'draw-bar. I'Fig." 2 is a transverse vertical section throughlthe dra-w #head and partly showing the locking `means for the knuckle. Fig?) is a detailperspectiveview Aoftheknuckle-locking means. 4 is a detail view of a portion of'thedevice.

'Like `reference' characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the coupler or draw-head, which is practically'of the same form ordinarily used i'n Janney type couplers, with the exception of such modifications as will be hereinafter noted in the interior structure to accommodate the application of the features of the invention. The coupler or draw-head 1 is provided with the usual drawbar 2 and at its front end has a knuckle-recess 3 and chamber 4, communicating with Said recess. To one side of the center of the `Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented J uly' 24, I1 906.

Application ildlDeceiber 4.31905. SerialNo. 290,213.

recessed end ofjthehead aknulcklefSl ispivotally mounted', as usual, andembjodiesa coupling-'jawn to coperate with asimilafjaw on 'a 4companion'couplingheadl "The" knuckle in the" present instance ihas an' inwardly-proj ectingextension 7 'having an" outer shoulder 8, adapted tocontafct withastopQ, formed as a partoft'he head. The shoulder Sl'bears against the stop`9`when the knuklei's" closed, andthe latter isthus'braced rreinfr'c`e`d- `Adjacent to the shoulder@'tleouterunder portion o f therea'r extremity"fthev` extension 1Tis formed withan' upwardly-inclined carn- Away or slojt' 10, as clearly'shownjinfdott'ed ,lines t'by Fig, 2v and partially indicated 'as Riny- Open by Rig. 1 fin 4vievlv Orth@ l'plate of the Sectio-'n illustrated "bytheilauergufe- The chamber 4 is ofv such 'shape'a's tprn'l'it the free movementoftl'ie rear'termin'al of the extension 7 therein ,andthe rear; edgef said ,extension is' arcuate, as at"l11,"'saidar`cuate edge intersecting 'anabutting face 12, which is adjacent tothe lo'cking mearfsfin ainanner which will be more fully Llrer'eiri'a' fter `'ex plained. An opening` 1&3 "extends :through `the bottom of the "head 1 and "the side "wall 1121 thereof adj acent t' lthe extensin 7 f the knuckle 5 is I`upwardly"and iout/wa"rdly,."i'nclined and continues into"` anuppe'r grooved mannerwhich will also be ,hereinafter lvset forth. The opening lis' continued up- 'wardlythroug'h the top of the 'head infrethe side thereof `which moves over 'the upper terminal of 'the curved,as`at 22. I

The locking member yfor 'tliefknu'ckle 'is `clearly shown'indetail'by Fig. 8 andembodies a shank' or .pin-likestructure' 23, 'with an upper bifurcated end "'24, pivotally connected to a centrally-depending tongue 25, forming part of the shoe 19 of the rocking lever. The upper reduced portion 16 of the opening through the draw-head is of such transverse extent as to permit the locking member to move laterally during the uncoupling operation when the rocking lever is actuated. Projecting forwardly from the shank or coupopening 13 'is regularly IOO 4S yelements the coupling and releasing movevvfor operating the lever 18.,

ling-pin 23 is a locking boss or projection 26, having the lower edge incline plane, as at 27. Below the locking-boss 26 1s an upward laterally-extending knuckle releasing finger 28, which contacts with and moves over the wall 14 and engages the cam groove or slot 10 in the rear portion of the extension 7 of the knuckle.

When the locking member is normally positioned or lowered through the couplinghead, the locking-boss 26 is located adjacent to the abutting face 12 of the extension 7, as clearly shown by Figs. 1 and 2, and prevents accidental o ening movement of the knuckle. When the s ank 23 is raised, the lockinglboss 26 clears the abutting face, and at the lthe coupling-boss and permits the coupling member to move downwardly into locking position, as heretofore explained.

rlhe coupling member is raised by pulling on the upper end of the rocking lever 18, said pulling operation with respect to the lever causing the shoe to elevate the shank 23.A Any suitable means may be employed rIhe improved coupler will be found ex-f ceptionallyl advantageous in its operation,vl particularly for use on freight-cars, and it will be observed that no modifications in the car-coupler are necessary to practically apply the same.

All the changes in the structure are confined t'o the draw-head, and in view of the positive operation of the several cooperating ments, of the knuckle are insured.

. 1. In a car-coupler of the class set forth,

the combination of a draw-head, a knuckle pivotally mounted therein, a locking member lprovided with a locking-boss to engage the knuckle, and an o enin -finger for the knuckle, and a rocking ever aving an arcuate lower extremity held on the top portion of the draw-head and movablyattached to the locking member, said lever being proin a curvedv vided with means for operating it in opposite directions.

2. Ina car-coupler of the class set forth, the combination of a draw-head having a chamber therein and an o ening extending vertically therethrough, a uckle pivotally mounted to swing in the chamber, a gravitating locking member having a locking-boss to engagea portion of the knuckle and an opening-finger to also engage a part of the knuckle, and a lever mounted on the upper portion of the draw-head to rock in opposite directions and pivotally connected to the upper end of the locking member, and having pull devices attached thereto and extending in opposite directions.

3. In a car-couplerof the class set forth, the combination ofa draw-head having a chamber andan opening therein, a knuckle pivotally attached yto the draw-head and having an extension ymovable in the said chamber, a locking member freely movable inthe said opening and provided with a locking-boss having a lower rounded corner and adapted to coperate either with one edge or the upper part of the extension of the knuckle, the locking member being also provided with an upwardly projecting outwardly-incli-ned finger for opening the knuckle when the latter is released, and a rocking lever movablyconnected to the upper end of the locking member and having means for operating the same in opposite directions.

4. In a car-coupler of the class set forth, the combination of a draw-head having a chamber and an opening therein, a knuckle pivotally'disposed in the draw-head and provided with an extension movable in the chamber, said extension having an upwardly-inclined slot and an abutting face, a y

locking member vertically movable in the said opening and provided with a lockingboss having a Ylower` upwardly inclined curved edge, the said locking member being also provided with an u wardly-inclined finger to engage the slot o the knuckle to open the latter, a rocking lever movably attached to the upper end of the locking member, and means connected to the rocking lever for operating the same in op osite directions.

In testimony whereof aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS A. MOORE.

IOO 

